


Change These Shadows By An Altered Life

by gardnerhill



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 15:25:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/863550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gardnerhill/pseuds/gardnerhill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The title is a quote by Ebenezer Scrooge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change These Shadows By An Altered Life

Every action has a consequence. One incident may prove be the pivotal point for a dozen different futures, all spinning away like strands from an unravelled rope in widely varying ways.

In one strand Frodo puts on the Ring and is borne into the tower by the vengeful Eight, where the sight of Sam's year-long death drives him into madness and rage that Sauron looses upon Middle-Earth.

In another strand Gollum's cry of triumph holding the Ring still on Frodo's finger is cut short by Sam bowling him into the fire, and with Middle Earth saved and Sam lost Frodo sits down and dies when Doom is overthrown.

In one strand all the hobbits remain in Minas Tirith and the Shire becomes a second Mordor under the fist of Sharkey and the Ruffians. Rosie Cotton births 13 children - all half-Men, sired by the brutes who raped her - and the trapped, weeping lasses smother each other's babes as fast as they come.

In one strand Sam leaves Frodo for dead in Cirith Ungol, slays Gollum at the Cracks, and puts on the Ring. Sam's own hands strangle his Gaffer and chop down the Party Tree.

In one strand Middle-Earth is saved and the Shire scoured; Sam weds his childhood sweetheart Rosie Cotton and sires a dozen and more, and it only remains for Frodo to dwindle and die from his wounds five years later.

In one strand Frodo leaves the Shire after the birth of Sam's first child and goes away with the Elves, forever. Sam is grieved, but returns to his family and lives the hero's reward, finishing out his long life at his eldest's home. Those who loved their tale comfort themselves by saying that Sam went further and sailed away with the Elves to find Frodo. (There are some who say this is the only possible strand.)

In one strand Sam splashes into the water after Frodo's Elf ship and goes away with him. The abandoned Rosie weds Bingo Bracegirdle and has four more children besides Elanor. Forever after, hobbit folks tap their heads and talk about both Frodo and Samwise getting bewitched and spirited off by the Elf folk.

In one strand, a stray dog follows Frodo back to Bag End, and winds up leading Frodo home.

In one strand, Frodo leaves with the Elves not only because of the wounds he took, but because Sam has looked at him with pity and revulsion ever since he confessed his love.

In one strand, Frodo leaves with the Elves because Sam confessed his own love and Frodo is terrified that Sam will tie himself to an ill hobbit instead of a hale and hearty lass who can give him children.

In one strand, Bilbo kills Gollum in the Misty Mountains and the deed causes him to end up slavering in the dark, strangling Goblins and gurgling over his Precious - until the Nazgul find and drag him back to Mordor. A young Frodo sees the Shadow creep over Buckland; baby Sam does not live to see the horror that consumes Hobbiton.

In one strand, Frodo and Sam confess their love. They take up life in Bag End together for the next six decades; each takes it in turn to nurse the other through the illnesses caused by the Ring, and they raise an armload of Hobbit children orphaned by the Troubles.

In one strand, Frodo is bitten by a vampire and writes bad poetry about Goldberry. (There is reason to believe that this strand is completely fictional.)

***

This is another strand.

Ten years have passed since the Ring's downfall. Bilbo has sailed West with Gandalf and Elrond. Rose Gamgee and her husband Halfast have nine children, all lovely and bright but none more so than Elderflower, begotten in the magic year of growth. They run and play, glad to be out of their Ringday best and hungry for the traditional afterday feast.

Frodo and Sam kiss in the front garden of Bag End. Spring is in the air, and the heavy sorrow and shadow that falls over both in March - the 13th for Sam and the 25th for Frodo - is past and gone. There is no despair in either hobbit. Each holds in his heart the promise the Queen gave both of them - that passage will be given them to West and healing, should their wounds prove too much. Perhaps some day they will go. But not this day. Today, life is good. Tonight, they will celebrate their triumph over the Shadow in each other's arms.

"Disgraceful," sniffs Begonia Chubb as she walks past the Hill and the two hobbits that saved her life.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Tolkien's birthday, mainly to honk off those who deserve it, but also as a gift to [](http://lbilover.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://lbilover.livejournal.com/)**lbilover** , who'd been distressed by homophobic slash commentary by some fans. I decided to use two of his characters in a manner not mentioned in the instructions on the box.


End file.
